Vaporizing-valve for explosive-engines.



110.726,191. EATENTED APE, 21, 1903.

" W. 'EEADLE VAPQEIZING VALVE EOE EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATIONAFILED JAN. 1'7. 1901.

No MODEL. z SHEETS-.SHEET 1.

- No. 726,191. f' PATENTED'APRLQL'1903.

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VAPORIZING VALVE FOR BXPLOSIVE ENGlNBs.

lAPPLICATION I'ILEI) JAN. 17, 1901.

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11o MODEL.

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zVILLTAM READLE, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

VAPORIZING-VALVE FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGIN-ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,191, dated .April 21, 1903.

y Application iiled January 17,191. Serial No. 43.663. (No mg-idol.)

To /LZZ whomv it may concern.- y y Y y Be it known thatI, WInLIA'M READLE, actzen of the United-States, 'vresidingat Elmira, in the county-ol" Chemung'and State'of New York, have invented certainnemend-useful Improvements inVaporizing-Valves folExplosive-Engines andIfd'o hereby 'declarethe following to be afull, clear, and exact descri ption of the invention,-` such as will enable others skilled in the arto Which'fit appertains to make and use tf'li'efsame." f

Myinvention relates to an improvement in vaporizin g-valves' for hydrocarbon, and more particularly for use inconnec'tionV with illuminating, producer, `lnatural gases, or gasoL lene, the primary object ,oftheinvention' bfeing to provide 'means' for thoroughlymixing and vaporizing natural and manufactured gases o r gasolene with an adequate quantity of air on itsway'to thecombination-chamber or place Where it'is to be utilized for eXplosive or other purposes. My invention further consists in improved adjustable means', for 'e'ffectually controlling and regulating the amounts of air and hydrocarbon to the valve; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be'liereinafter more fully described', and particularly pointed out int-heclaim's. j l In the accompan'yingdrawings', Figure l 'ijs a sectional viewfof the valve 4employed.'for

` natural, illuminating, or vproducer,gases ov gasolene. Fig.'2 is a horizontal sectionof thl same. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig 4: isa viewA in elevation, taken at'right angles to the vie'w shown .in Fig.- .1. Figs. f5 'andtA are vertical sections of aniod'ifiedl form of construction, Y

thetw figures-.being taken. at right 'angles to each other. Fig. 7 is a plan view of `this,A j an @n3-` larged detail of the'hydrocarbon-duct.

modified construction, and Fig. 8 is y Referringwto the 'construction .shown Figs.V 1,2, 3, and Lt,,Arepresents ther` valve shell or casing, it being furnished with an internal screw-thread ot atlits ,lowerend, by

Whifchgit .is attached tothe engine or other object to which it is to be applied. For convenience the shell or casing of this construction is made in two parts, secured together at the joint b, which joint affords a means of access to the interior useful in assembling outer enlarged end, as shown.

the parts ofrlthis formovalve. The upper section A is' provided withA an air-inlet portr 9, closed byvmeans'of'fa'dam per 9'; Surrounding the lowereud. of this air-inlet port is an annular.reserve-chamber kl.` Passing across tbe'portat its ,-lowfer end isf a hydrocarbondotata', one end o'ffwh'ich'eXtends through the' reservecharnber to theouter wall of the casing A' and is adaptedltoreceive a regulating needle valve: having a threaded stem', by'means ofwhich it is screwed in and outf. The'opposite endofthe hydrocarbonduct is i'n communication with the reservechamber" 1 and is lprovided 'with a dared or conical seat oropenin'g'b. Depending from and communicating with the hydrocarbonduct a is a tinted stem 7', preferably located at or approximately at. the center of thedevicedischargingthehydrocarbon, This stem terminates ina cone. -The needle-valve reg- -ulates theV amount 'of'hydrocarbon passing from duct a to the duct 2 ofthestem-7, the valve being Amanipulated by ni'eans of a ,drocarbon-supply.vvk In Fig. l this projecting "nipple "is 'adapted to'r'eceive an externallyscrew-threaded removable'plug 4:, the bore o.'of which'is in alinement andcommunieating with the'duct a. This pl'ug is adjustable in theprojecting-'ni'pple 4' and passes across the reserve-chamber l, its inu'er end conicallylshaped to fit the. conical seat b' of the vhydrocarbon-duct. The outer end of the plugisen'laiged to fit the diameter of the nipple 4', the adjustment of the plug being effected by inserting a suitable instrument for the 'purpose into recesses formed'in'its is obvious. When the valve is used with gasolene, the plug is screwed tightly home, as shown in Fig. l, thus absolutely cutting off communication with the reserve-chamber 1, as the latter is unnecessary when gasolene is used; but when Anatural or other'r gas is the hydrocarbon elmployedvthis plug may be either removed altogether or screwed back from the conical seat b', so that the bore of the plug as Well as the hydrocarbon-duct are Its functionboth in communication with the reservechamber 1.

The interior of the shell or casing is subdivided into two chambers by the discal portion of a valve 12, which is normally seated upon an annular ange 12. The upper of these chambers will for convenience be termed an air-chamber and the lower one the mixing7 or vacuum chamber. An annular series of gas inlets or perforations 6 is made in this flange into the reserve-chamber 1 for the escape of gas therefrom into the mixing or vacuum chamber, and the discal portion of the valve 12 normally or when seated closes these perforatious. Air is fed into the valve through the upper end 9, and its supply may be controlled by the damper 9, and this in turn is locked by the springactuated catch 9", seated in a shouldered aperture 20 in the handle 9. The air thus admitted is intermingled and thoroughly mixed with the hydrocarbon by issuing in two annular jets, one of which is around the outer periphery of the discal portion of the valve 12 just beneath or contiguous to the annular series of gas inlets or perforations 6 and the other through the flutings S 8 in the stem 7 and the inlets or perforations 13 in the conical seat 14 ofthe valve 12. The valve 12 is provided with a stem 15, which is guided and centered in its reciprocations by the way t', drilled through the web 16 of the lower section A of the shell or casing. The valve 14 is normally held seated by the spring 17, its discal portion closing the perforations 6 and its conical seat in engagement with the conical lower end of the stem 7, so as to shut oit communication between the bore 2 of the stem and the'iutings 8 8 and the inlets or perforations 13.

The numeral 10 indicates a vacuum-chamber in communication with the cylinder of the engine and located partly in the two sections of the shell or casing, with the valve 14 operating therein. Valve 14 remains closed so long as the tension of the spring 17 is in excess of the suction created by the receding piston in the vacuum-chamber 10. In other \vords,with each forward stroke of the enginepiston the suction created causes a downward or inward movement of the valve 14, thus simultaneously opening the annular series of perforations 6 and 13 and the hydrocarbonduct 2, so that air and hydrocarbon are finely divided, distributed, and intermingled with each forward movement of the valve in an adequate quantity and suitably proportioned to create a highly-combustible vapor in the cylinder preparatory to each successive explosion. Immediately upon the return stroke of the piston being made the suction-power of the partial vacuum created is lost and the spring seats the valve over all of the air and gas openings until the operation is repeated.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 all of the essentials of the valve hereinbefore described are retained and only slight alterations are resorted to, and notably the following: The needle-valve is in alinement with the discharge-orifice of the hydrocarbon-channel b, and in this construction the air-feed is controlled by an adjustable cup or funnel D and the registering openings e and f. In this present valve the plug 4, reservechamber 1, and perforations 6 are wholly dispensed with, the plug 4 because the present valve is intended for use with gasolene only, and consequently no reserve-chamber, as 1 in the other construction, is needed, and for the same reason the perforations 6 6 are unnecessary, and in lieu thereof the entire charge of hydrocarbon in the present coustruction finds exit through the hydrocarbonchamber b" at a single point, where it intermingles with air discharging through the perforations g and is further intermingled with a disruptive circular current of air coming in over the outer periphery of the disk c of the valve, as indicated by the arrows. A removable valve-head E affords access to the vacuum -chamber h. Connection with the engine is afforded at the side, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

My improved valves are applicable to any form of explosive-engine and would iind a ield of usefulness in the rapidly-growing art of so-called motor-vehicles or automobiles.

It is evident that slight additional changes might be made in addition to those described in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a valve shell or casingcomprising an air and avacuum charnber, the air-chamber having a hydrocarbonduct leading and discharging thereinto, the duct provided with external air-passages, means for controlling the supply of hydrocarbon, and an air-inlet, of a valve for intermittently closing communication between the two chambers, the valve having centrally-located apertures therethrough and constructed and adapted to close and open the hydrocarbon-d uct and external air-passages whereby two separate currents one of intermingled air and hydrocarbon and the other of air are admitted to the vacuum-chamber one around the outer edge of the valve and the other through the apertures formed therein.

2. A valve-casingprovided with air and hydrocarbon inlets, means located in the hydrocarbon-inlet for regulatingthe supply, a pivoted plate for regulating the supply of air, a valve dividing the casing into air and vacuum chambers, the valve provided with a series of openings, the hydrocarbon-duct provided with external passages, the valve adapted to IOO IIO

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l an air and a hydrocarbon duct leading thereinto,A the latter duct terminating in a conical discharge end provided with external grooves, of a valve provided with a conical seat adapted` to beV received upon Vthe conical duct,

the valveprovided with apertures in its seat which are closed by the end of the duct, the valve operating to close the ends of the grooves and the mouth of the duct, and forming'a diyvision between the air and vacuum chambers, whereby when the valve is opened the airis permitted entrance to the vacuum-v chamber through the grooves on the duct and the openings in the valve.

4. The combination with a shell and a reciprocating valve therein which subdivides the shell into air and vacuum chambers, the valve provided with aperturestherein, of a hydrocarbon-duct discharging into the airchamber and provided with externalgrooves,

l a hydrocarbon-duct therein,

an air-inlet and a reserve-chamber surrounding the air-chamber and communicating therewith, the valveadapted to close and open the communications leading from the reserve-chamber 'and the hydrocarbon-duct, whereby to admit a plurality of separate currents of air and hydrocarbon 4commingled into the` vacuum-chamber.

l 5. Thefcombination with a shell or casing,

ber and means for supplying the reservechamber with hydrocarbon-.or of cutting out the chamber,of a vacuum-chamber and means for establishing communication between the reserve-chamber andA vacuum-chamber, and a valve located in the vacuum-chamber for opening and closing the hydrocarbon-"duct and the` means through which communication ishad between the reserve and vacu'um chamber. l

6. The combination with a shell or casing, avacuum-chamber, a reserve-chamber, an air chamber, anr .air-inlet,. a hydrocarbon ductA and plug for opening or closing the reserve-chamber to the hydrocarbon-supply, said reserve-.chamber having means of communication between it and the vacuum-chamber, of a valve having a perforated center and a discal portion adapted to normally close the perforations in the wall between the reserve and vacuum chambers, the hydrocarbon-duct having a tinted stem, a spring for keeping the valve normally closed, .the valve when in closed position operating to close the mouth of the duct and the fiuted air-passages thereon, and the duct adapted to close the perforations in the valve.

7. The combination with a shell or casing subdivided into an air and a mixing or vacua reserve-chamum chamber, a flange at the pointof subdivision having an annular series of Vhydrocarbon inlets or perforations, and a hydrocarbon reserve-chamber from which the inlets or perforations lead, of a hydrocarbon-duct having a tinted stem,and a valve located in the mixing or vacuum chambelgvthe valve adapted to reciprocate whereby it alternately opens and closes the hydrocarbon-duct and the Iiuted passages, said valve havinga'discal portion which simultaneously opens'or closes the hydrocarbon inlets o r perforationsIand,

permits the entrance o t air contiguous thereto, said valve provided withaperforatedseat normally closed by the ductstemand adapted to discharge intermingling air and hydrocarbon into the mixing or vacuum chamber, when the valve is withdrawn from the ductstem by the vacuum created by the piston in the vacuum chamber, the plenum created therein operating to close the valve and prevent the entrance of air and hydrocarbon into the vacuum-chamber.

8. A valve-casing comprising air and vacuum chambers and provided with an air-inlet and a grooved hydrocarbon-ducm'the vacuum-chamber of larger area than the air-chamber, whereby a shoulder is formedr at the juncture'of the air and vacuum chambers, a disk Valve reciprocating in,V the vacuumchamber, and adapted to bear against the shoulder to separate the air and vacuum chambers, the valve being of smaller diameter than the vacuum-chamber and larger Vin diameter than the air-chamber, the hydrocarbon-duct having a conical end adapted to' be received in and closed by a perforated` seat formed in Vthe valve, the hydrocarbonduct in turn adapted to close the perforations in the valve, a pivotedadjustable member for controlling the supply of air to the airchamber, the air from the air-inlet having access to the entire surface of the disk valve and the seat formed therein when the latter has been Withdrawn into the vacuum-chamber, whereby two separatecurrents, one of air and the other of intermingledair and hydrocarbon are admitted to the vacuum-chlamber around the periphery of the disk valve and through thev perforations in the seat re-v spectively.

9. A vaporizing-valve for explosive engines, consisting of a casing formedfin two removable parts, a hydrocarbon-duct, means Jfor controlling the supply of hydrocarbon thereto, an air-inlet, and means-for regulating the amount of air admitted to the valve,- thelast-named means automatically locked in any adjusted" position, a discalvalve in the casing which Valve subdivides the casing into air and vacuum chambers, a web located in the vacuum-chamber on which the valve is mounted, the valve located beneath and- `fitting over the mouth of the hydrocarbonduct, the duct provided with a plurality of external grooves, the valve provided kwith a series of perforations adjacent to itscenter,

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means for automatically retaining the discal valve 011 its seat upon the hydrocarbon-duct, the duct closing the perforations in the valve, the valve adapted to close the duct and the grooves thereon, the last-named means adapted to be overcome during the instroke of the piston whereby two separate circular 'currents of intermingled hydrocarbon and air are drawn into the vacuum-chamber, around the periphery of the valve and through the perforations therein, respectively, the outstroke of the piston operating in connection with the automatic means to close the valve against the further introduction of air and gas.

10. In a valve, the combination with an airinlet, of a hydrocarbon-d uct, a reserve-chamber contiguous to the discharge end of the duct, the discharge end capable of adjustment whereby to bring the reserve-chamber into use or to place it out of use as a reser- Voir for the hydrocarbon.

11. A valve-casing provided with an airinlet and an eXternally-grooved hydrocarbonduct, a disk valve provided with a conical seat having a circular series of perforations therein, the valve-seat adapted to fit over the conical end of the hydrocarbon-duct to close the latter, the sides of the hydrocarbonduct in turn closing the perforations in the seat, when the Valve is closed, means for controlling the supply of air and hydrocarbon, the air adapted to have access to the entire surface of the disk valve and seat when the valve is open to permit of the passage around the periphery of the disk valve of a circular current of air and to permit the passage through the circular series of perforations in the valve-seat of a second separate circular current of intermingled air and hydrocarbon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM READLE. Witnesses:

L. D. SHOEMAKER, JOHN G. POTTER. 

